The Girl Generation (TGG), Child Health Advocacy Initiative (CHAI) and the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) have launched an initiative, National Anti Female Genital Mutilation Youth Network in Nigeria (NAFGMYNN) to help tackle the menace.

According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), no fewer than 19 million girls undergo Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Nigeria yearly; arising principally from deeply rooted cultural practices across the federation.

Programme officer for The Girl Generation in Nigeria, Kelechukwu Nwachukwu Lucky, at the official launch of the initiative, told journalists that the desk study conducted in the country has given rise to the initiative aimed at curtailing the practice.

The Girl Generation is a social change communications initiative, providing a global platform for galvanising, catalysing and amplifying the Africa-led movement to end FGM. It seeks to inspire organisations and individuals, including youth across the most affected communities in Africa to end FGM in one generation.

Kelechukwu added: “It is not in the news. It is a deeply rooted cultural practice. So we now feel that there is power in the young people to end FGM.
We feel that they hold the key. If the circle is broken once, it is broken forever. They will say no, my daughter will not undergo such practice and it will end. In November last year, we gathered these youths and formed a network to help end FGM in Nigeria.”

Kelechukwu said the project, which is funded by the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) decided to comprehensively integrate the youths into the framework not just as future parents but leaders of tomorrow who are now gradually becoming aware of their respective roles as drivers of social and economic change as well as the need for them to change negatives practices that have far-reaching consequences.